“Not all Latino immigrant families lack citizenship status, but many are still presumed to be undocumented. This makes them second-class members of their own communities.”

Enforcement and Over-Enforcement

Over the last year, thousands of children were separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border, causing trauma detrimental to brain development, according to University of Michigan researchers. Deportation creates vacuums in parental and familial support, often leaving single mothers to care and provide for families. Michigan Public Health researchers are working to redefine how we study the health of immigrant communities and how we can help families access health care, nutritious food, and other necessities in the face of uncertainty and stress.